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In some threads there has been speculation about how long the GWR sleeper sets will last. And I'm struck that the only remaining regular sleeper sets in Japan (the 285 series EMU) are entering the final phase of their working life. Given that the loading gauge for JR and the UK is similar...

A bit late posting this, but in my trip across Japan over the last winter, I experienced one of the best railway moments I have had. It was at Obasute station on the Shinonoi line, near to Nagano. I was snowing heavily, so at many stations in the area, the snow was around half a meter on the...

I have just found out that my journey from Beeston to Glasgow tomorrow will be affected by the strike. I have been out of the country, and I got no message from Avanti (from which I bought the ticket). I have an advance ticket Beeston to Crewe on EMR (which isn't running at all between Derby and...

Now that virtually all journeys in London (apart from those that are part of a National Rail ticket) are done using Oyster or other contactless cards, has the reason for having the simplicity of the fare zones gone? And if so, could this be the time to make the fare structure in London fairer...

The current station with the name Long Eaton is not really ideal. It has short, and not easily extendable, platforms. It is quite a long way from the economic centre of Long Eaton (it was called Sawley Junction for most of its life). And even though located near a number of lines, only can be...

Looking up at the Dudding Hill line as it crosses the Metropolitan Line just south of Neasden station, it seems that new semaphore signals are being installed. Were my eyes deceiving me?

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200105_14/ From NHK news (Japanese national broadcaster) Interestingly, they'll have battery packs for backup. Is this a first in a high speed train?

One of the proposals that has been mentioned in the past (largely in the scenario if Heathrow is not ultimately extended) would be to reopen Northolt to commercial flights, and operate it like a satellite for Heathrow for short-haul flights just within the UK and Ireland common travel zone. For...

It seems that JR Central wants to get more journeys out of its trains by turning them around faster. https://japantoday.com/category/national/japanese-bullet-train-operator-to-aim-at-faster-cleaning-miracle

There are often reports of various Japanese railway companies doing special trains. The thing that is impressive about this one is that the fare to ride this train is the same as the standard fare on the Hankyu Line (around £2.50) between Osaka and Kyoto...

I'm a big fan of Japanese railways. Many people know about the JR Railpass which is a much cheaper way for foreigners to use Japanese long-distance trains than simply buying tickets. But very few seem to know about an even bigger bargain: the Seishun 18 kippu. For around 12,000 yen (between...